Language Arts / Social Studies

The Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands (REL-NEI) is one of ten regional laboratories and has a mission to help pre-K–16 educators use the best available evidence to make decisions leading to improved student achievement and reduced performance gaps. REL-NEI places a special emphasis on helping states, districts, and schools build capacity to use their data effectively; forming and conducting high-quality research and evaluation through new “research alliances”; and helping regional education stakeholders incorporate data-based inquiry practices into their decision-making.

Mission US is an interactive adventure game designed to improve the understanding of American history by students in grades 5 through 8. Over the next several years, the project will develop four Web-based American history video games and accompanying pedagogical support materials. To learn more about the administrative, technology infrastructure, and professional development support teachers will require to use these history video games in their classrooms, EDC is conducting an evaluation focused on how teachers integrate the game and classroom materials into their ordinary practices.

CCT is evaluating New Mexico’s statewide implementation of the Reading First program, the literacy component of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The primary goal of the New Mexico Reading First (NMRF) initiative is to improve students’ literacy skills by changing how teachers address literacy in grades K–3. New Mexico hopes to improve student achievement in literacy by providing intensive professional development to teachers, helping districts select quality reading programs and materials, engaging in ongoing assessment, and ensuring curriculum coherence across grade levels.

E-Learning for Educators, funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Ready to Teach program, seeks to establish successful, sustainable, statewide online professional development programs that address teacher quality and student achievement goals. Through its EdTech Leaders® Online program, EDC supports this initiative by establishing a cadre of online professional development instructors and course developers within each state.

EDC is creating a series of online professional development course for teachers of American History. The courses will assist teachers in building their skills as historians, using primary source documents in the classroom, and making use of local historical sites and museums. Each course includes online readings, interactive activities, online discussions, assessments, and other Web-based resources. Additionally, EDC will train and support facilitators to deliver each of the courses to teachers from school districts participating in the project.

EDC is developing an online professional development course on China based on the content of Primary Source’s The Enduring Legacy of Ancient China. This course will be designed as a model that may be part of a series of online courses based on other Primary Source content areas. EDC will also provide online facilitator training to prepare online facilitators selected by Primary Source to deliver this online workshop to teachers in participating school districts or to other teachers recruited by Primary Source interested in this content.

Our Courts is a free, interactive, Web-based program designed to teach students civics and inspire them to be active participants in our democracy. It includes a complete curriculum that exceeds many states’ standards and can be used independently or as a supplement to other civics programs. Complementing the classroom materials is an immersive game environment designed for use in afterschool settings or at home. EDC is contributing instructional design expertise to this project.

The Living Room Candidate is an online exhibition developed by the Museum of the Moving Image that presents more than 250 television commercials from every U.S. presidential election since 1952. The site includes a searchable database and features commentary, historical background, election results, and navigation organized by both year and theme.